In today’s LA Times‘ ON THE MEDIA column, James Rainey doth protest waaaaay to much about how cuts in the major newspapers is threatening society. Why is that you ask? Because, says Rainey, without all these “unbiased” information outlets the American public won’t be able to make reasonable, rational, (Leftist Approved, natch) decisions regarding elections and public policies.

The diminution of mainstream news outlets and constant attacks on their credibility leave us confused about where to turn for information about our leaders, agreed Dan Schnur, a one-time Republican consultant who directs USC’s Jesse Unruh Institute of Politics.

“Technology and blogs and the like make it much easier to get information out,” he said. “But what is missing is the credibility that comes with that message coming through the mainstream media.”

BWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

Sorry, it was seriously putting the words “credibility” and “mainstream media” in the same thought that brought that on.

One political consultant told me he regularly encounters less-experienced (and more easily bamboozled) reporters when he works on state and congressional campaigns. He was the one who told me the newbies often didn’t bother to check whether ads were really going to have any serious presence on television. The net effect: He got thousands of dollars worth of “free” media, exposing the public to ads the politician would never pay to put on the air.

Shoot, this seems to work everywhere. Remember the PETA, supposedly for the Superbowl, commercial with the Victoria’s-Secret-dressed models pleasuring themselves with vegetables? That sure never was gonna air — but it got plenty of play on the cable news shows and the Internet. Same with political commercials last fall. Nothing new here folks, just business as usual — cuts in newspapers or no.

Yet I fear much of this is lost on the public. I don’t know whether to be depressed or infuriated by the folks who occasionally e-mail me, gleeful that another newspaper will cut its staff.

They cite a handful of outrageous exceptions in an attempt to disprove what remains the rule, that the vast majority of political coverage betrays no partisan allegiance. (Both Republican and Democratic operatives told me the same; though I’m certain I’ll receive derisive e-mails from people who just know I’m wrong.)

Ya think? The fact is that the major city newspapers are so biased that they have no credibility. Zip! NADA! That goes double, or triple, for the Los Angeles Times! If they had been giving both sides of the issues the last few years and had covered from nearer the middle instead of waaaaaaay out in Left Field — their circulation would not have been so decimated.

James and the rest of the LAT’s surviving editorial staff certainly deserve to receive the rare Head Up The Wazzoo Award! Enjoy the atmosphere in there fellas! You deserve it!

Technorati Tags: James Rainey, LA Times, Los Angeles Times

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